Fade
by stonedtoad
Summary: Is it time to stop fighting? Jack ponders as he waits.


TITLE:-Fade  
  
AUTHOR:- stonedtoad  
  
EMAIL:- leapfrogjb@hotmail.com  
  
CONTENT WARNINGS:-None  
  
SUMMARY:-(Word of month inspired- "Fade")  
  
DISCLAIMER:- Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.  
  
Fade  
  
It was amazing how the mind worked in extreme moments, time seemed to slow down, every movement and sound highlighted in eerie clarity, the chance to second guess yourself but not time to change your mind.  
  
And now it was quiet, the battle over, the warriors gone home to celebrate, taking macabre trophies of their spoils with them.  
  
Total silence surrounds me, not even a bird song in the distance or the gurgle of a nearby stream. I am alone, save for the wide eyed corpse of the enemy soldier, the reason why I am alone, unable to move, at the bottom of this cliff. He broke my fall nicely so I should be grateful, but all I can feel is pity. He is young, too young to have died in this way, to have died at all. And I cannot even crawl over to close his eyes in death.  
  
The battle, as many have been in my life, was pointless. I am yet to find out what we did to infuriate the natives so. Likely as not we trespassed on holy ground or neglected to complete a sacred tradition,- these are often mistakes of ours, but hey, if traditions are so fundamental you think they'd mention them somewhere. I mean, would a signpost at the Gate be so hard to organise? If we couldn't work out what it said then, hey, we'd save ourselves the bother of the journey.  
  
The bright colours were fading, oh so slowly losing their brightness. As I could feel the sun hot on my face I knew that this meant bad news. Probably due to one or other of my injuries, probably the gash down my leg that I couldn't reach to stem the bleeding. Hey, it's not like I want to bleed to death but even I can't bend that far with this many broken ribs. And yes they are broken, take my word for it, I know what that feels like.  
  
I gave up trying to concentrate on my injuries a while back,- its hard to concentrate with a concussion,- and yes I know that one too. Mainly I was just trying to keep awake till the guys get back to me. Not sure how long it's been as my watch hit the ground just after I did. And probably saved me from a fractured wrist- not too sure about that one. Doc will have to get back to me if I get back. WHEN I get back I chided myself, no negative thoughts please, bad for the karma. I smirked as I imagined people's expressions if I'd said that aloud on base. Probably send for Mackenzie- I was after all supposed to be not the brightest bulb in the base and if I started talking about comparative religion...well they'd definitely send for the guys in white.  
  
So I was a lapsed catholic, didn't mean I was dumb or that I didn't have faith, just that I didn't believe anymore. Didn't want to believe in something that allowed such suffering in the world.  
  
So back to the problem in hand. And leg. And ribs. And head.  
  
Needed a painkiller and needed some suncream. Just my luck to get stuck at the bottom of a cliff on a world with two suns. Yes, there really are two, I'm not seeing double cause they were both there earlier. So there.  
  
Come on guys, hurry back will ya, things are going a little grey over here, and no I don't mean my hair thank you very much. I'm quite pleased to still have my hair, never mind its colour, Hammond doesn't have any at all and he isn't hassled about it. Mind you, he is the boss...not that he acts it sometimes.  
  
Oh boy, my world just went tunnel visiony. Still in colour but mostly monochrome- hey, not a bad word for a guy who's wearing his blood on his sleeve. Oh great, now I can't stop giggling, and giggling hurts.  
  
I think I heard a noise just now, could have been the gate opening, but I guess I could have imagined it, the price you pay for having an overactive imagination, you get to hear what you want.  
  
No, it must have been the Gate cause now I can hear voices, oh so faint and it sounds like I'm hearing through fog but I recognise the voices if not the words.  
  
So now I can relax, not sleep, not with a concussion, no I still have to fight that one, but I can stop the panic, stop the feelings of isolation, that I'd die alone. See, I might not vocalise them but I have the same fears as the next guy, and no-one wants to die by themselves, not left alone like so much road kill.  
  
I'm thinking in slow motion again but this is from concussion not anything else. A rope's tossed down near to me and next thing I know there's people I recognise poking at me and asking me questions. I can't quite follow what they are saying but I know I will be safe now, they will get me home, I don't have to fight the darkness.  
  
I can just fade into the grey, safe in the hands of people I trust. 


End file.
